This invention relates to an emergency personnel lowering apparatus.
Various systems have been used for controlling the rate of descent of a person on a lowering line and for stopping the movement along the line. The patents of Hobbs, U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,397, and Ledner, 3,799,289, show known systems for controlling the rate of descent of a person along an emergency lowering line. The patents to Nickson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,576,210; Schultz, U.S. Pat. No. 2,343,086; and Houseman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,561,514, show various types of line braking devices.
The patent to Weber, U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,236, relates to the particular problem of rescuing downed aircrewmen from marooned positions in high trees.
For the rescue of downed aircrewmen a more compact system is needed which will also provide a much greater range of control in the rate of descent. Also, the prior art systems, which depend upon friction between different portions of the lowering line for controlling the rate of descent, may be useful for only a limited weight range of aircrewmen. If the aircrewman becomes incapable of self protection on the ground it would be safer if he were left suspended from the lowering line.